Regeneration Biology

Regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and regrowth of tissues, organisms or whole ecosystems. Every species can regenerate. The degree of regeneration, however, varies significantly among different species.

Salamanders are able to regenerate whole limbs. If a Salamander limb is amputated, a blastema forms over the wound. The cells inside the blastema dedifferentiate into multipotent stem cells that remain their positional information. Over the course of weeks, the cells multiply and regenerate a fully functional limb.

Regeneration is often confused with wound healing, but differs significantly. During wound healing, the wound is closed off by forming a scar.

In the Regeneration Biology simulation, you will study regeneration in different vertebrates. Amputate the limb of a salamander and observe how the whole limb regenerates!
Will you be able to figure out why humans cannot regenerate as well as other animals?